Highly personal and data-driven care responsible for surprising health of patients in Maine
Like many poor regions in America, Maine—particularly northern Maine—is plagued by obesity and smoking. However, despite the presence of these and other risk factors, northern Maine ranks high on national measures of health whereas most poor communities perform dismally. What’s the difference? A decades-long commitment to highly personal, data-driven care that has made Maine a model for improving community health.
How Healthy are Mainers?
According to data from non-partisan healthcare system research foundation the Commonwealth Fund, residents of northern Maine are some of the healthiest in the nation, given their risk factors. Mainers are nearly 50 percent less likely to die from preventable diseases as individuals who live in other low-income communities. They also receive more recommended screenings and fewer risky prescriptions, and suffer fewer complications in nursing homes.
A History of Cooperation
In the 1970s, Maine doctors were among the first in the nation to realize that they needed to examine their practices and develop a standard of care so that patients would not get radically different treatment from one town to another. The Maine Health Management Coalition was born out of their efforts to standardize health care. This organization tracks over 100 care variables and publishes detailed score cards on physicians and hospitals, which are similar to the HEDIS ratings produced on a national level.
Maine health care organizations utilize this data to identify individuals with chronic illnesses and schedule visits from an army of traveling nurses. The nurses are able to provide extra attention to these patients, sometimes helping them with dietary choices, reminding them to take their medications, or providing other services designed to help keep patients healthier and reduce hospital visits.
After implementing a community care program involving traveling nurses, EMHS, northern Maine’s largest hospital group, reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations among chronically ill patients by over 40 percent in the first year. They also saw improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar management among at-risk patients.
A Model for Other Communities
Many experts have identified Maine as a model for other communities wishing to improve the health of their residents. While Maine has long benefited from an inclusive insurance program that made getting coverage easier in Maine than in other states, the Affordable Care Act should level the playing field on that count. Now, all that will be left is for other health care providers to follow Maine’s example of using patient data to fuel personalized preventative care. By conducting HEDIS reporting, health care companies can get vital data about their current performance and identify areas that need improvement. Compliance with various HEDIS measures regarding recommended screenings and preventative treatments will also help improve patient care and health. If your company needs help with HEDIS activities, contact HEDIS Nurses today.
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